By PATSY McARDLE
THE people of Ballybay and over a wider area of North Monaghan were shocked at the weekend by the tragic death of a 57 local resident who was found lying inside the door at his residence in the town’s Lower Main Street area, early on Sunday morning last.
It was initially feared that Mr. Oliver McEntee might have been the victim of an assault at his home but after a post mortem examination carried out by the State Pathologist on Sunday afternoon, it was established the …

News that the Dept of Agriculture’s District Veterinary Office in Ballybay was set for closure as a public facility on May 20 sparked a heated debate at a special meeting of Monaghan Co Council convened on Wednesday morning last.
Co Mayor Jackie Crowe facilitated discussion on the issue but was to express deep disappointment at the tenor of the resultant exchanges, which saw accusations of blame hurled across the chamber between the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael benches over where political responsibility for the closure lay.
FF’s John …

Ballybay Town Council marked its 140th anniversary at a special presentation in the Wetlands Centre, Ballybay last Friday night, where the present threat to abolish town councils was a recurring theme throughout the evening. Speaker after speaker called for a strong campaign against any such move and sought to emphasise the importance of retaining smaller local authorities in order to keep democracy alive and well at a local level.
At an event where passionate arguments for the retention of smaller authorities like Ballybay Town Council itself were advanced, it …

Ballybay, Co Monaghan received one of the top awards in the annual Co-operation Ireland All-Island Pride of Place Competition announced on Saturday night last at the Knightsbrook Hotel, Trim, County Meath. Inniskeen took runner-up prize in the Category three section, which is for populations between 500-1000.
Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey, presented them with their award during the gala ceremony, which was hosted by Meath County Council. TV personality Marty Whelan was MC for the evening.
Competing against communities from all over Ireland, north and south, Ballybay were victorious in category four …

The Ballybay Town Council Motto “Bheith I Lár Báire” means to be in the centre of things and the wonderful uplifting event which took place recently in a marquee in the centre of Ballybay, next door to Liam & Anna Smyth’s bar, would certainly do justice to the hopes felt and aspirations held, not only by the council itself but also by the people of Ballybay and surrounding areas such as Latton, Aughnamullen, Tullycorbett, Doohamlet, Corcaghan, Shantonagh, Rockcorry, Annyalla and even as far flung as Shercock!
The organising committee consisted of …

Ballybay Town is to receive an investment of €400,000 from the INTERREG 4A programme towards the creation of new enterprise space and business start-up units in the town.
The funding, which is payable under the Rural Development Measure,  will provide an additional 5,000 square feet of space at the existing Enterprise Centre in the town.
The funding has been warmly welcomed by Mid-Monaghan public representative Owen Bannigan.
Speaking to The Northern Standard yesterday, the Monaghan Co Councillor described the announcement as a great news story for Ballybay.
“The provision of additional enterprise space in …

Tributes have been paid to Ballybay town councillor Noel Duffy following the long-serving Fine Gael representative’s untimely death on Monday morning last.
A motion of sympathy was unanimously passed at a specially convened meeting of Ballybay Town Council attended by all the members on Monday night, where the atmosphere was made all the more poignant by the fact that Cllr Duffy played an active part at the monthly meeting only a week earlier.
On that occasion he had expressed delight at returning to the chamber, after being unable to attend the previous …

The distinction of Co Monaghan Rehab Person of the Year was conferred on Friday night last on Ballybay man George Wallace, whose selfless devotion to providing succour and support for those with addiction problems has made him one of the county’s most admired and beloved humanitarians.
Mr Wallace is pictured by our photographer Rory Geary being presented with his award by last year’s winner, George’s fellow townsman Cathal McCarthy.  Also pictured is Mr Cathal Smyth of The Northern Standard.
The presentation took place during a gala awards evening in the Hillgrove Hotel.  …

Detailed new document to inform future planning and development in town and outlying area
An extensive, very detailed and well-illustrated document covering the history of Ballybay, the architecture of the town and the layout of its surrounding landscape is to be officially launched at a special function on 20th September next.
The ‘Ballybay Historic Landscape Characterisation Plan (An Action of the County Monaghan Heritage Plan 2006–2010)’ was prepared for Monaghan Co Council by Sheridan Woods Architects & Urban Planners, with 75% of the funding coming from the Heritage Council.
At their July monthly …

A claim by Fine Gael’s Owen Bannigan that the Dept of Agriculture office in Ballybay was to close on December 15 generated a heated debate at Monday’s meeting of Monaghan Co Council.
Seamus Coyle of Fianna Fáil said he had contacted Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith during the meeting and the Minister said there was no truth to the rumour and had reiterated his previous guarantees regarding the future of the facility.
Colr Bannigan held firm to the veracity of his revelation, and angry and often high-volume exchanges rang around the meeting …